The federation of 11 associations of employees in the Rural Development department staged a sit-in protest in all the 13 panchayat union offices here on Thursday to highlight their demands to the government, particularly in making the post of Panchayat Secretaries equivalent to the rank of Junior Assistants in pay scale.
A. Balaji, secretary of Madurai district unit of Tamil Nadu Rural Department Officers’ Association, said that the long-pending demand had not been fulfilled despite assurance from late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa in the Assembly. “Top officials from the department said that a recommendation had been made to the State’s Pay Commission for revising the pay scale of Panchayat Secretaries, noon-meal scheme workers and few other categories. However, replies obtained through Right to Information Act revealed that no such recommendation has been made,” he alleged.
Stating that Panchayat Secretaries, who played a key role in carrying out Rural Development department’s work at the village-level, were drawing around ₹ 11,000, Mr. Balaji said that they would get around ₹ 18,000 if the pay scale was revised.
M. Subramanian, State president of TNRDOA, said that the federation was planning to stage a protest in Chennai in December. “If our demands are not fulfilled, we are planning to go on an indefinite strike after January 15,” he said.
